Bernie Worrell keyboardist for Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) and Talking Heads died following a battle with cancer. He was 72.
A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee passed away on Friday, according to his Facebook page.
"Bernie transitioned Home to The Great Spirit. Rest in peace, my love- you definitely made the world a better place. Till we meet again, vaya con Dios," Worrell's wife Judie wrote on Facebook.
Diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in January, Worrell was the guest of honor at a massive benefit concert last April, with the likes of George Clinton, Questlove, David Byrne and Meryl Streep performing and paying tribute, reported Billboard
"This is a huge loss. The world of music will never be the same. Bernie's influence and contribution -- not just to Funk but also Rock and Hip Hop -- will forever be felt.
"Bernie was a close and personal friend and this is a time of sadness for me personally. P-Funk stands with his family and fans alike in mourning this loss. The world is a little bit darker and a little less funky without Bernie in it," P-Funk head George Clinton said in a statement.
Born George Bernard Worrell in New Jersey, Worrell began playing piano at age three, and performed with the Washington Symphony Orchestra at age 10.
He attended Julliard and the New England Conservatory of Music, and met up with fellow New Jersey native George Clinton. He followed Clinton to Detroit, where Funkadelic rewrote the rules of black popular music several times over throughout the 1970s.
Worrell recorded a solo album in 1978 - "All the Woo in the World," produced by Clinton - and recorded with Collins for his splinter group.
Worrell officially left P-Funk in 1981 and joined Talking Heads. He also recorded with Keith Richards, Fela Kuti, and Jack Bruce, and after the breakup of Talking Heads, he released a spate of solo albums in the early-'90s.
Earlier this year, Worrell was given an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the New England Conservatory of Music.
